S Chapter 1

‘Aolluseu’. The anti-government terrorist group I had pursued for a long time. The face revealed beneath the Mask, which had floated into the sky, was remarkably familiar to Shin Jukyeong.

Splatter!

Contrary to his shocked heart, the knife that had swiftly and precisely pierced the opponent’s heart was pulled out, gushing red blood. Splatters of blood flew onto Shin Jukyeong’s face. They looked like flower petals.

“Why… you…”

“…It’s been a while, brother.”

They had spent their lives estranged, yet they were still family. He had never even given him a Flower Bouquet for his entrance or graduation ceremony, but he was his brother.

Although he couldn’t personally check if they were eating or if they had any difficulties, he poured generous financial support into their bank accounts every month. Even without a drop of shared blood, he willingly embraced them.

Because he was the eldest son. Because he was a brother. Because he was a proud son. He took responsibility for the family, replacing his deceased father.

“Yang U-dam.”

“Cough…”

He couldn’t boast of being a loving brother, but he believed he was doing at least as much as others. Amusingly, that’s what he thought.

“Why are you…”

He believed that until his brother’s breath ceased.

“Ugh…”

He opened his eyes, feeling an intense headache. Why was it so hot? Shin Jukyeong furrowed his brow and lifted his head. He swept his sweat-soaked hair back and rose from his spot.

Had he fallen asleep while looking at documents? As he moved to stretch his stiff body and perhaps get a cup of coffee, Shin Jukyeong’s eyes narrowed. The room felt unfamiliar.

His head slowly turned. A short breath escaped his parched lips. The desk, which should have been messy with cigarettes, coffee, and documents, was surprisingly clean. And that wasn’t all. The bed, the single sofa, the simple tea table… all the furniture was identical to what he had used in the past.

‘Is this still a continuation of that unpleasant dream?’

Shin Jukyeong tried to ignore the unpleasant feeling. Then, to wake himself from the dream, he slapped his cheek without mercy. Smack! He hit himself hard enough to make the room echo, and annoyingly, it hurt.

“…”

Finding it hard to believe, he slapped himself once more. The pain was still there.

“Heeguk! Kim Heeguk!”

Even the guy who would immediately appear when called was nowhere to be found.

“…”

Shin Jukyeong, whose mouth was agape in disbelief, approached the desk. He intended to find his phone and make a call. However, his intelligent mind had already grasped the current situation a step ahead. It had finished its automatic update on its own.

Exam prep books neatly arranged, various vitamins, mental training manuals, and an Old Model Cellphone that naturally came to hand. It was even the phone advertised by the only girl group he had ever paid attention to, back in the old days. He remembered deliberately buying it despite having a perfectly good device.

Shin Jukyeong carefully checked the screen.

[April XX, 20XX]

“…Ha.”

Even after rubbing his eyes, nothing changed. Was it a dream? But for a world created by his subconscious… the pain in his cheek was too vivid.

He could no longer deny it. Shin Jukyeong had to admit it. He had returned 11 years into the past.

“Frail.”

Shin Jukyeong murmured unconsciously, looking at his reflection in the mirror. His height hadn’t changed much, but his physique was noticeably different. He flexed his arm. He maintained decent muscle for a teenager, but… it wasn’t impressive to the eyes of a current professional Hunter.

‘Had I been satisfied with such a clumsy body?’

Shin Jukyeong furrowed his brow at his unreliable body, then sighed and looked around.

‘Did I really return to the past? What’s the reason?’

There were so many possibilities that there were, in fact, none. He had countless enemies, and he frequented suspicious Dungeons as if they were his own home, so encountering such a bizarre situation was hardly a shock.

He gently stroked his feverish cheek with the back of his hand. It was unwanted self-harm at the age of thirty. Both the slap and this situation.

‘I really killed U-dam with my own hands.’

Killing his brother and then regaining his youth… He wished that had been the dream instead. Shin Jukyeong pressed his temples firmly against the throbbing pain. He didn’t know whether to accept this as an opportunity or a punishment. Or perhaps just a bored god’s prank?

“There’s no way to go back…”

He paused mid-sentence. …Did he even need to go back? He knew his own skills better than anyone. He wouldn’t leave any room for a clumsy revival. Therefore, his brother had perfectly died.

But now, it was different. His brother was alive.

‘Furthermore, if it’s 11 years ago, father hasn’t passed away either.’

In other words, he had arrived at the conclusion that his entire family was safe.

As he thought of their survival, his dizzy mind calmed. Experiencing such a chillingly deep sense of defeat once in his life was enough. Shin Jukyeong made a quick decision.

‘I won’t go back. …I’ll change the future here.’

However, he would have to abandon quite a lot. The youngest Hunter Association Director, the No. 1 ranked Hunter, CEO of UA Group, and so on.

If asked if he didn’t regret giving up a successful future, he would tell them to look at its end. His brothers, whom he thought were living ordinary, good lives, had joined a criminal organization, and he had taken the life of his second brother, their leader, with his own hands. And that wasn’t all, was it? Enraged by the second brother’s death, his other brothers took up knives and…

‘…they killed me.’

Hunter Shin Jukyeong had been murdered. By those he called family, no less.

As the suppressed memories surfaced, a chilling cold swept through his body. He couldn’t believe he was alive now. His death had been quite vivid. Shin Jukyeong opened and closed his hands. His palms were clammy.

‘Even so…’

He had already decided.

“…Again.”

Long shadows formed beneath his eyelashes. On his expressionless face, only his jet-black eyes glittered. They were the sole light in the darkness. Again, Shin Jukyeong’s head slowly lifted.

“Once more.”

His voice was clear.

How could a mere creature understand the will of a god? One could only bow their head and revere when a miracle was bestowed. There must be a reason why he had returned ’11 years ago’. For instance, perhaps it was because at this time of year, all nineteen-year-olds stood at a crossroads of destiny.

Suneung? University? No, it was a more important matter than that. ‘Ability Manifestation’. Euphemistically called “to bloom,” this refers to an ordinary human individual manifesting their unique Innate Ability and later awakening as a Hunter.

Of course, it couldn’t be done alone; an adult Hunter had to pave the way for the child, and usually, a Hunter from the same family would do it.

If there was no Hunter to ask, one could apply to the national certified Hunter Association… but a superstition existed that the higher the rank of the Hunter paving the way, the better the rank the child could obtain. Thus, wealthy families often preemptively secured S-rank Hunters with large sums of money.

‘I also received help from an A-rank Hunter whom Father had previously bribed. Though I can’t guarantee if it actually had an effect.’

“…Blinding.”

Lost in thought, he hadn’t realized morning was coming. Shin Jukyeong gazed blankly at the golden sun rising beyond the window.

Just then, footsteps were heard.

Thump-thump-thump! Bang!

“Young master! Good morning!”

Shin Jukyeong flinched at the person who burst through the door. Light freckles, slightly visible canines, a petite build, reddish-brown hair. And a cheerful personality that didn’t suit the bleak household.

“Kang Seo-oh.”

The name felt awkward on his tongue after so long. And it made sense. Kang Seo-oh had been murdered along with his third brother’s biological mother, Cha Hee-yeon, by robbers when Shin Jukyeong turned twenty.

‘He was too young to die…’

He couldn’t even say a proper goodbye. Even though Kang Seo-oh was a kind-hearted person who worried about Shin Jukyeong until just before his short life ended, Shin Jukyeong was not allowed the place or time to mourn him.

‘Merely’ the death of one household staff member. His father, Shin Taekyung, told him not to waste time on such useless things. That’s why only the funeral of his third brother’s biological mother, Cha Hee-yeon, was held. Shin Jukyeong learned what self-loathing was for the first time that day.

“-Master, young master! Young Master Jukyeong!”

“Ah.”

“What are you thinking about that you don’t even hear me calling? You’ve finished all your preparations, haven’t you?”

“Preparations?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know!”

Kang Seo-oh smiled, showing off his canines. Honestly, even as he spoke, he had doubts… but soon, his assumption turned into certainty. Shin Jukyeong pressed his forehead and swallowed a curse.

‘The Manifestation Ceremony was today.’

Damn it. He had been so caught up in his dawn emotions, steeling his resolve, that he’d missed the detailed part.

“Your eyes are sunken. Were you too excited to sleep? Don’t worry. Young master will receive a higher rank than anyone else. I, Kang Seo-oh, guarantee it!”

Shin Jukyeong couldn’t laugh at Kang Seo-oh’s nonsense. He had expected the Manifestation Ceremony to come, but he hadn’t anticipated being dragged there even before he could straighten his back after regaining his youth.

Steelng one’s resolve and making a plan were distinctly different things. Reality wasn’t a shonen manga, so these weren’t problems that could be solved with mere fighting spirit or an unyielding heart.

“Just fix your hair and let’s go quickly. Everyone from the elder master to the youngest young master has gathered. Oh! I’ll be cheering you on from afar, so don’t be too nervous. Fighting!”

His mind grew hazy from the sudden time attack.

‘Laughing without knowing what others are going through…’

The one fortunate thing was that Shin Jukyeong knew the future. So he had a rough idea of what needed to be changed. Of course, he couldn’t assert it was the correct answer, but wouldn’t it be better to avoid the worst-case scenario first?

‘I will definitely save them. And I will survive.’

Shin Jukyeong finished preparing to fight the approaching tragedy with all his soul.